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Kil'jaeden
For information on how to defeat Kil'jaeden in World of Warcraft, see Kil'jaeden (tactics). Kil'jaeden the Deceiver is a powerful eredar demon lord and is the acting leader of the Burning Legion. Selected twenty-five thousand years ago as the chief lieutenant of Sargeras, he was ranked above the now-deceased demon lord, Archimonde. While Archimonde had led the Legion's armies, Kil'jaeden's agenda was to assimilate every race possible into the folds of the Burning Legion. Since the apparent banishment of Sargeras, he has assumed the role of supreme commander. He is also notable as the creator of the Lich King. Biography The Destroyer's Offer and the Flight of Velen Twenty-five millenia ago, the world of Argus was the home of the wondrous eredar civilization, a race of natural magic-wielders. Kil'jaeden, respected for his intelligence, a genius among a race of geniuses, quickly rose to become one of the three most prominent leaders of the eredar, along with his colleague, Archimonde and best friend, Velen. Eredar society was shattered when these three leaders were contacted by Sargeras the Destroyer. Sargeras offered a deal: in exchange for their loyalty, the eredar would gain untold power and prestige. Kil'Jaeden and Archimonde readily accepted, though Velen curiously held back. As the eredar were preparing to receive their new powers, Kil'jaeden learned that Velen and his followers had sided with Sargeras's enemies, the naaru, and were in the process of fleeing Argus. Enraged by this "betrayal" Kil'jaeden loosed his new powers and minions on the "Exiled Ones", or draenei, and relentlessly pursued them across the cosmos for five thousand years... but Velen was as cunning as the Deceiver, and the draenei soon vanished. The Horde, the Oath, and the Deceiver's Revenge .]] Following the failure of the invasion of Azeroth, some fifteen thousand years after accepting Sargeras's offer, Kil'jaeden was ordered to find a mortal army, that could be used to invade worlds en masse. Kil'jaeden prowled the Nether for millenia for the perfect soldiers. Then, one day, Kil'jaeden's favored servant, Talgath, stumbled upon a world that showed signs of the draenei's magic. Though they initially assumed it was just another one of the planets the draenei briefly stopped upon, further investigations quickly discovered that the draenei had actually settled there, even going so far as to give it an Eredun name, Draenor. Sharing "Exiles' Refuge" with his nemesis were a race of shamanistic beings called "orcs." Intrigued by their potential, Kil'jaeden realized that they were exactly what he was looking for. Going straight to the Horde's most respected leader, and using the guise of the orcs' sacred ancestors, Kil'jaeden tricked the elder shaman, Ner'zhul, into thinking that the draenei were plotting against the orcs, and subtly introduced warlock magic and bloodlust to the clans. Eventually, as the Elemental Spirits refused to grant their powers to the shaman, these warlock powers would overtake the orcs. Soon, the clans began to launch successful skirmishes and raids against the draenei, believing it to be their ancestors' will that they be exterminated. However, soon it became apparent that Ner'zhul lacked the ambition and defiance to successfully carry out these plans, and Ner'zhul, beginning to realize what the pact would do to the Horde, refused Kil'jaeden any assistance, and so Kil'jaeden turned to Ner'zhul's own apprentice, Gul'dan, who had already begun practicing dark sorcery. Gul'dan's indomitable lust for power and his selfish personality made him the perfect pawn for the demon. After proving the orcs' ability to fight the draenei, Mannoroth's blood was given to the orc chieftains to drink, and they degraded into a horrible bloodlust. As both a test of his new minions and as revenge to his wayward brethren, Kil'jaeden ordered Gul'dan finish the slaughter of the draenei in one climactic battle at Shattrath City. The attack was a success. The Second Invasion The Destroyer Returns Kil’jaeden, like the rest of the eredar warlocks, felt the power of Medivh when he began his astral roaming. Taking this as a sign that Sargeras required his energies elsewhere, Kil'jaeden retreated from Draenor. Aware that the time had come to unfold his stratagem, Medivh manipulated Gul'dan into opening the Dark Portal and sending the Horde deep into Azeroth. His agendas were nearly fulfilled as the Horde made their way into Azeroth, spreading their dark, demonic energies wherever they went. They heralded the destruction that would wipe out any resistance that could be offered to defend against the Legion, destroying the Kingdom of Stormwind, almost completely subjugating Khaz Modan, and enslaving the mighty Alexstrasza. However, two events occurred that would inevitably doom the orcs' invasion to failure. The first was the assassination of Medivh, which in turn caused the great spirit of the Dark Titan in him to be banished to the Abyss. The second, ironically, was caused by Gul'dan's lust for power, the same that had originally been used to corrupt the orcs. Gul'dan facilitated the Horde's fall in the Second War by seeking out the Tomb of Sargeras which, as told to him by Sargeras himself through Medivh, he believed would give him all the powers held by the Dark Titan before his played-out defeat in Northrend. As a result of his actions, Orgrim Doomhammer lost nearly half his standing forces and the orcs lost their one chance of wiping out the last bastion of human power for good. Given enough time to regather and reorganize, the humans followed with a fierce counter-attack that ultimately won them the war. The orcs had failed. The Lich King Kil'jaeden, infuriated, knew that the time had come to take matters into his own hands. Recalling the Nathrezim's experiments with undead during the War of the Ancients, and realizing that it was free will that led to the downfall of the orcs (the betrayals of Doomhammer, the Stormreavers and the Laughing Skulls), he formulated a most sinister plan: Why not create an army of enslaved undead, under the control of a single cunning mind cowed in fear to the Legion? Calling in an unpaid vendetta, the Deceiver found Ner’zhul within the Twisting Nether, and, seeking vengeance against the shaman's defiance, tortured the orc for an impossibly long time, destroying his body piece by piece until finally, nothing remained but the shaman's tortured soul. Kil'jaeden offered the remnant of the soul a choice: remain in eternal pain in the eredar torture dimension, or become the ruler of an army of undeath. Ner'zhul, predictably, chose the latter, and was transformed into the Lich King. Recalling Ner'zhul's previous duplicity and Gul'dan's failure, Kil'jaeden took no chances whatsoever. He refused to give the Lich King a body, instead sealing specially forged armor into a gigantic crystal along with the Lich King's soul. And, just in case Ner'zhul wasn't daunted by immobility, dispatched the Dreadlords to make sure he stayed on task. The Lich King was to succeed where the orcs had failed, His undead servants would wipe out any potential resistance, and raise the unfortunate fallen as undead legions. The Scourge was just that, and wiped out Quel'Thalas and much of Lordaeron to prepare for the Legion's invasion. By the time Archimonde entered Azeroth, the remaining forces of Lordaeron were no match for them. However, the Lich King, aware of the eredar's hatred for the immortal elves, betrayed the Legion by breaking the pact he had forged with Kil'jaeden which bound him to the latter's will. In informing Illidan of the Skull of Gul'dan, he facilitated the death of one of the Legion's greatest tacticians, Tichondrius and dealt the first blow against the Legion that led to the ultimate fall of their forces in the Battle of Mount Hyjal. The Betrayer Although Kil'jaeden was infuriated at the failure and death of Archimonde, he knew better than to take reckless vengeance. Aware that the Lich King had grown out of his control, he then went about to acquire a new pawn. He found Illidan, and told him that, despite his part in the Legion's downfall, The Deceiver was willing to offer him one last chance at power. Illidan was informed that if he destroyed the Frozen Throne, thus killing the Lich King, that Kil'jaeden would reward him with power beyond his imagination (whether or not Kil'jaeden actually intended to do so is a moot point). Illidan first gained the allegiance of the naga, who helped him first flee from Kalimdor and then later seek out the Eye of Sargeras. With it, they performed an arcane ritual to tear Northrend, the base of the undead Scourge, apart. Thus, the minions of Kil'jaeden came full circle, back to the power of the Dark Titan. But, due to interferences from Illidan's brother, Malfurion Stormrage, the Eye was instead destroyed before he managed destroy Icecrown. Having failed Kil'jaeden, Illidan instead went on to rescue Tyrande along with his brother. Aware of Kil'jaeden's capabilities, he fled to Outland to evade capture, during which he gained the loyalty of one more former highborne race, the blood elves. With his new servitors, Illidan eventually moved against the pit lord Magtheridon by destroying the dimensional gates Ner'zhul had opened decades before. The stratagem was meant to keep Kil'jaeden and his minions away from Outland and would have stopped Magtheridon from calling in reinforcements. Without any further demonic aid to strengthen his standing forces, Magtheridon was quick to fall before Illidan and his followers. But Kil'jaeden was no fool. Because of Draenor's former importance as the homeworld of the orcs and the refuge of the draenei (and Magtheridon himself an agent of the Legion), Kil'jaeden kept at least half an eye on the torn planet. Quickly uncovering what had happened (or perhaps watching all along), the Deceiver once again appeared in front of Illidan and commanded him to return to the icy continent to finish what he had started (citing that his new servitors showed "some promise"; while Kil'jaeden probably didn't buy Illidan's story, he knew that his best bet in destroying the traitor still lay in Illidan), and told him that if he failed again, he would face his "eternal wrath." For now, the mighty Doomwalker assaults the gates of the Black Temple under orders from Kil'jaeden. Current activities For now, however, Illidan has failed, and the Lich King persists, having cheated The Deceiver by merging with Arthas. However, Kil'jaeden, being an ever-scheming eredar, likely had another plan in waiting. Though he rarely appears to personally take part in battles, it is rather likely that a plan is already in progress to take vengeance upon his enemies. Kil'jaeden has taken personal command of the Burning Legion. It remains a mystery as to why he has not yet taken any action against Illidan for his failure. Exactly what his reaction will be to the draenei not only surviving, but joining the Alliance, is unclear. However, it's likely to be quite unpleasant. Kil'jaeden in World of Warcraft Kil'jaeden does not currently appear in World of Warcraft. However, he is a central figure to the lore of Outland; the mountain north of Thrallmar, where Gul'dan called the clans to partake of the blood of Mannoroth, is known as the Throne of Kil'jaeden. There one of his lieutenants, Doom Lord Kazzak, rules over the Legion in Outland. Also, the lower minions of the Burning Legion (those who reside in Terokkar Forest and Nagrand) drop Marks of Kil'jaeden that can be turned in for reputation with the Aldor. The Doomwalker, as mentioned above, assaults the gates of the Black Temple on orders from Kil'jaeden, to make Illidan pay for his failure. Kil'jaeden will finally make his World of Warcraft appearance with the release of the Sunwell Plateau, the new 25-man raid in Patch 2.4.0. The pictures of Kil'jaeden's in-game model (see right) appear to show him as a combination of man'ari eredar and the winged, horned daemon appearance as seen in the manual to Warcraft II. Players will be facing off against a twisted abomination of Kil'jaeden that is still being summoned into Azeroth by his new lieutenant, Kael'thas Sunstrider. http://wow.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=402753 It is also known that he has enslaved the blue dragon Kalecgos to the Legion's cause. http://www.wowinsider.com/2007/12/20/new-sunwell-details-from-swedish-mag-level Anveena is believed to be a part of the battle against Kil'jaeden, as there are spells mentioning her in the PTR files. Kil'jaeden's half submerged appearance is reminiscent to Dante's depiction of Satan, frozen in the Ninth Circle of Hell in his Inferno. Personality Kil'jaeden seems to have no problem keeping his ego from dominating judgment. He is surprisingly forgiving to failed servitors, provided they aren't complete screw-ups, and consistently allows those who serve under him chances to redeem themselves, a policy which acts to cement their loyalty. Kil'jaeden also takes the excuses and explanations of those who serve under him with careful consideration and merit. These policies are in direct contrast to Archimonde's approach, which can be summed up as "succeed or die." Kil'jaeden regards Velen, who was once as close to him as a brother, as his arch-nemesis, and has spent millenia in a fury over what he perceives as Velen's betrayal, much to the confusion of his servitors and Archimonde. Even in this vendetta, however, Kil'jaeden was able to keep his ego safely out of the equation, thereby making his vengeance upon the draenei perhaps more terrible than that visited upon any of the Legion's other foes... Powers ]] The exact powers at the Deceiver's command are unknown. As his ultimatum to Illidan and his appearance to Ner'zhul and the orcs exemplifies, he is a master of illusions. Kil'jaeden has also shown ability to control his overall size (an ability shared by Archimonde), but that may not be the limit to his shapeshifting abilities. Though these are the only powers observed in recent years, assuming that these cantrips are the limits of his power is a grave mistake. He is credited with enslaving the Dreadlords, a feat that would have required immense cunning and awesome magic, and his rank within the Legion and the eredar are listed as higher than Archimonde's. Even prior to the eredar's transformation, Velen acknowledged that Kil'jaeden was his, as well as Archimonde's, superior in matters of the arcane. However, Kil'jaeden's full powers lie not within the boundaries of physical and magical ability, but in the mind. His unrivaled cunning placed him first in position in the ranks of the Burning Legion, and so aptly gave him the title of the Deceiver. He managed the corruption of the orcs with very little magical expenditure, a plan executed almost entirely by manipulation. Character Development Like most demons, Kil'jaeden's original position in Warcraft lore was a minor one; in this case, he was the tutor of Gul'dan, one of the major characters in Warcraft II. After the role of Sargeras was built up from a footnote to that of the major lore antagonist, Kil'jaeden's role was also increased, to the extent that he is now one of the most significant behind-the-scenes villains. In fact, only Sargeras himself holds a more constant and terrifying presence within the lore (the Old Gods having acted against Azeroth directly). Trivia * Kil'jaeden leaves fiery track marks when he walks, just like Illidan. This can be seen during "Illidan's Task" in the Curse of the Blood Elves (WCIII:TFT), when Illidan recalls his encounter with the demon. This visual feature appears to be common to demons of great power (as an aside, beings in TFT who left burning footprints could also walk on water), and may not have any other connotation. * In Warcraft II, Kil'jaeden was shown as a horned, winged daemon. In Warcraft III, he was shown as a red-skinned eredar; in his appearance in World of Warcraft he appears to combine elements of the two, sticking daemon wings on an eredar body, thus making him the only winged eredar in Warcraft lore (thus the difference of appearance between Warcraft II and Warcraft III is not a retcon), though this could be an effect of illusion or the portal. *There is a mountain in the Hellfire Peninsula in Outland known as the Throne of Kil'jaeden. The mountain was named by Gul'dan, after he gathered the orcs there to partake of the blood of Mannoroth. Today, Doom Lord Kazzak, one of Kil'jaeden's lieutenants, resides there after reopening the Dark Portal from Azeroth. References Category:Eredar Category:Burning Legion Category:Warcraft III Category:Demons Category:Sorcerers